Candidacy registration process concludes

AMMAN – Candidacy registration for the September 20 parliamentary polls closed Thursday with the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announcing that 230 lists applied since the beginning of the process. 

The lists included 1,293 candidates, 257 of whom are women, or 20 per cent, according to IEC figures. 

The IEC is set to announce the preliminary candidate lists within a week, an official from the commission told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

On the first day of registration, 147 lists were registered 46 on the second day and 37 on the last day, said the IEC. 

Amman saw the largest number of lists across the Kingdom, according to IEC, which said that 61 lists filed applications in the capital on Thursday, involving 366 would-be candidates. 

Amman was followed by Irbid with 37 tickets representing 213 candidates. 

In an interview on Jordan TV Thursday, IEC said the number of contending lists was larger than expected. 

The Kingdom is divided into 23 electoral districts, with five for Amman, four for Irbid and two for Zarqa. 

The other governorates is each represented as an electoral district, including the three badia constituencies. 

The 2015 Elections Law has reduced the Lower House seats from 150 to 130, designating 15 seats for women’s quota.